Luminous pendant



Feb. 18, 1941.

T. w. CLiFi-ORD 2,232,512

LUMINOUS PENDANT Filed April 29, 1940 THOMAS W. 0L IFFORD Enventor (Ittorneg Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in a luminous pendant and a method of producing the same.

It is well known that many efforts have been made to produce a luminous pendant having a high degree of brightness, durable luminosity, and simplicity of manufacture. Many of the early developments have related to the production of a pendant having a translucent or transparent body in which is encased or enclosed the luminous object. In some instances it has been in the form of a cylinder, a spiral strip, or a round luminous covered ball. The encasing of the object is primarily due to the fact that the material having the qualities within itself of radiating brilliant rays of light under dark conditions is not durable if permitted to come in.

- contact with acids or grease. At the same time the efiiciency of the luminous material is considerably impaired by this protective covering which has been used.

It is an important object .of my invention to provide a luminous terminal having the luminous material displayed on the exterior of the object,

but in a manner as to be protected from spoliation and deterioration through use.

It is? another object of my invention to provide a simple and improved method of producing such a luminous pendant.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a luminous pendant which is easily attachable to the object upon which it is to be displayed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the course of the following description. In the drawing forming a part of this disclosure and in which like numerals relate to like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a terminal constructed according to the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is an elevational sectional view of a pendant,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the details of the construction of my invention, and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral Ill designates the pendant body having a lower flared flange II and annular protective flanges l2 spaced apart from each other and forming depressions I3 therebetween for the reception of a surface coating of luminous material, such as is referred to as radium paint or the like. The upper and lower side walls l4 and I5 of the annular flanges I2 may also be coated with the luminous material as indicated in Figure 3.

Upon the upper end' of the body It] I form a cap it which in Figure 1 is shown to be approximately bell shaped. An attaching aperture H in one wall of the cap terminates in its upper end in a slot l8 and a ball I9 of the swivel chain 253 is inserted in the aperture l1 and the swivel bars 2i are slipped upwardly in the slot [8, permitting the pendant to depend from the chain. If instead of using a swivel chain as 20, a cord 3! is used, a knot 32 may be formed at a suitable location on the cord and attached in the same manner.

In Figures 1 and 2 I have illustrated the formation of the pendant as though of pressed metal which has been formed from a flat sheet into the tubular shape indicated, and in that event body II has a joining line 23. In the modified form of the invention the body 24 is indicated as being constructed of glass, or it may be formed of any of the more commonly used plastics or a solid body of metal.

In Figure 5 the body 24 has the outstanding annular flanges l2' with the inner spaced depressions Hi. In this case the cap 25 has lower internal lips 25 engaging in the annular groove 21 around the upper end of the body 24. A central passage 28 facilitates the threading of a cord if it be desired that the pendant be attached without the use of the head [6 having aperture II.

The principal steps in the production of my luminous pendant are the formation of the flanged body having exterior annular depressions, forming on said body a cap for the purpose of facilitating attachment, of the pendant, of the coating of the inner spaced depressions between outstanding annular flanges with luminous radiating material.

In use my pendant is particularly attractive and its life as a radiating or luminous object is particularly long due to the fact that the spaced apart flanges protect the luminous surfaces from the actual contact by the fingers of a person who may handle the object. It is well known that on everyones fingers is a certain amount of oil or grease or body acids, and it is from the deteriorating effect these substances have that I wish particularly to protect the luminous coating.

It is impossible to come into actual contact with the luminous coating on the surfaces i3, 55

M or l5 because of the function of the flanges l2. In addition, the flanges I 2 insure a highly frictional grasping of the object if a pull is asserted upon it, as for instance, when it is used as the terminal of a depending pull cord of an electric fixture. The flange II, in addition to terminating the lower end of the body and providing an attractive appearance, serves the important function of being easily grasped and encouraging its contact by the user of the pendant rather than the gripping of the body itself.

I do not wish to be limited in the construction of this device to the use of the materials mentioned in this description which are used in the formation of the device, but rather to the principles described and illustrated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A luminous pendant comprising a cylindrical body having annular flanges spaced apart from each other along the length of the body, the inner-spaced depressions between the said flanges being coated with luminous material, and a cap on said cylinder adapted for attaching the device in a depending manner.

2. A luminous pendant comprising a cylindrical body having outstanding square-shouldered annular flanges spaced apart along the length of the body, the inner-spaced depressions between the said flanges being coated with luminous material and a cap on the upper end of said body adapted to be attached to an object.

THOMAS W. CLIFFORD. 

